Breast-rest for wash-boards



(No Model.)

0. T. 81:.J. H. LAPHAM. BREAST BEST FOR WASH BOARDS.

No. 483,786. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

W1 TNESSES. INVIENTORS.

M E /4 Aw 6x4 ATToHWIxYT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OWEN T. LAPHAM ANDJOSEPH 1-1. LAPI-IAM, or CLEVELAND, oi-11o; l

BREAST-REST FOR WASH-BOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,786, dated October4, 1892.

Application filed July 12, 1892.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OWEN T. LAPHAM and JOSEPH H. LAPHAM, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andState of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBreast Rests for Wash-Boards; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

Our invention relates particularly to improvements in breast-restsadapted to doublefaced wash-boards; but it may also be used pithwash-boards having a single rubbingace.

The object of our invention is to providea breast-rest to be attached tothe upper part of the wash-board to support the body of the operator;and it consists, essentially, of a base piece or part adapted to befastened across the top of the wash-board and a movable part pivotallyattached to the said base by straps at its ends and springs arranged tohold the movable part in working position, all substantially as shownand described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of ourimproved breastrest shown in connection with a wash-board represented indotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end view of the rest complete with themovable part down in working position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of therest with the movable part up, as in Fig. l.

A represents the base or bottom part of the breast-rest, circular incross-section and provided along its own base on both sides with ledgesor projections a, forming shoulders or stops for the movable member B.This movable member or upper pivoted sec tion or portion of thebreast-rest is constructed along its lower edge to conform to thesurface of the base A and is secured to said base by straps or plates b,fixed rigidly to section B and pivoted at c to the base A.

At the ends of the rest are springs D, formed in this instance insubstantially S shape and fastened at their upper ends to the movablemember 13 and at their lower ends to the lower member or base A. ThisSerial No. 439,778. on model.)

brings the pivot-point c somewhere about midway between the extremitiesof the said springs, and thus enables the springs to perform thefunction for which they are intended.

The working position of the member B is as seen in Fig. 2, in which thesaid member is at rest on ledge a. In this instance the spring D isconstructed and adjusted to bear 6o the said member 13 down and hold itnormally, as seen in Fig. 3. If the memberB be reversed to the otherside of the board, as in case adouble-faced wash-board be used, the

springs D would occupy a like position and serve a like function to thatshown and described in and with Fig. 3; but though this be the normalposition of the part B the said part is capable of being thrown intovertical position, as seen in Fig. 1, when the board is packed forshipping or it becomes desirable for any other reason to bring said partinto this position.

Our object in adjusting the springs D, as

herein described, so as to exert their tension to hold the part ormember B down on ledge a, instead of holding it at some point above saidledge, is to meet the demand for having the said member in workingposition without being pressed or borne down and held there So by theperson using the board. It is not desirable to have abreast-boardbearing constantly against the breast of the operator when the board isused; but it is desirable that the person of the operator should be freeand that the rest be normally in working position and where it can anddoes give the desired rest and protection when needed; hence thisarrangement with springs to keep the rest in working position,whetherthe rest B be on rest for wash-boards, consisting of a base memberprovided with ledges along its own base to serve as stops for themovable member, the said movable member pivotally sup ported at its endsto swing to either side of the said base, and springs to hold the saidmovable member in working position, substantially as described.

2. The article of manufacture herein described, the same consisting ofthe base A, having ledges a along either side thereof, the movable partB, provided at its ends with straps b, pivoted in the said base at c,and substantially-S-shaped springs D, having one end fixed to the saidmovable part B and the other below the as described.

8. The base or lower portion of the breastrest, the top or movableportion and the straps at the ends of said portions connectingpivot-point C, substantially 7

